2 Corinthians 11

1 I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.

I wish you would bear with me a little in my foolishness: yes, indeed, bear with me:

2 For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you in marriage to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

for I am jealous of you with a godly jealousy; because I have espoused you to one husband, that I might present you a chaste virgin to Christ.

3 But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

But I am afraid that, by some means, as the serpent beguiled Eve by his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity due to Christ.

4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we didn’t preach, or if you receive a different spirit which you didn’t receive, or a different “good news” which you didn’t accept, you put up with that well enough.

For, if, indeed, he who has come preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached; or, if you receive another Spirit which you have not received; or another gospel which you have not embraced; you might justly bear with him.

5 For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles.

For I reckon myself to have come nothing short of the very chief of the Apostles.

6 But though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed to you in all things.

And even though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge. But upon the whole, we have been made manifest to you in all things.

7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God’s Good News free of charge?

Have I committed an offense in humbling myself that you might be exalted; because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

8 I robbed other assemblies, taking wages from them that I might serve you.

I robbed other congregations, taking wages of them to do you service;

9 When I was present with you and was in need, I wasn’t a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I will continue to do so.

for being present with you, and in want, we were burdensome to no one; but what I wanted, the brethren from Macedonia supplied: and in everything I have kept, and will keep myself from being burdensome to you.

10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no one will stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

Is the truth in me? then this my boasting shall not be prevented in the regions of Achaia.

11 Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows.

For what reason? because I do not love you? God knows.

12 But what I do, that I will continue to do, that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity, that in which they boast, they may be recognized just like us.

But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off opportunity from them who desire opportunity; that in what they boast, they may be found even as we.

13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ’s apostles.

For such are false Apostles, deceitful workmen, transforming themselves into Apostles of Christ.

14 And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.

And no wonder; for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

15 It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

Therefore, it is no great wonder if his ministers also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness: whose end shall be according to their works.

16 I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet receive me as foolish, that I also may boast a little.

Moreover, I say, let no one think me a fool; but, if otherwise, at least, as a fool, bear with me, that I also may boast a little.

17 That which I speak, I don’t speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

What I speak in this confident boasting, I do not speak according to the Lord; but as in foolishness.

18 Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will also boast.

Seeing many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast.

19 For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.

For, being wise, you bear with fools cheerfully.

20 For you bear with a man if he brings you into bondage, if he devours you, if he takes you captive, if he exalts himself, or if he strikes you on the face.

For if one enslave you, you bear it; if one devour you, if one take your goods, if one exalt himself, if one strike you on the face--

21 To my shame, I speak as though we had been weak. Yet in whatever way anyone is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.

I speak of reproach, as, that we are weak. But, in whatever any one is bold, (I speak foolishly, ) I am bold also.

22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the offspring of Abraham? So am I.

Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

23 Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself.) I am more so: in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, and in deaths often.

Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool, ) I am above them: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often;

24 Five times I received forty stripes minus one from the Jews.

of the Jews, five times I received forty stripes, save one:

25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep.

thrice I was beaten with rods, once I was stone, thrice I was ship-wrecked: I have spent a night and a day in the deep.

26 I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers;

In journeys often, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my countrymen, in dangers from the heathens, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers among false brethren.

27 in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.

In labor and toil; in watching often; in hunger and thirst; in fastings often; in cold and nakedness.

28 Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily: anxiety for all the assemblies.

Besides these troubles from without, that which is my daily pressure, the anxious care of all the congregations.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I don’t burn with indignation?

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn?

30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness.

If I must boast, I will boast of the things which relate to my weakness.

31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed forever more, knows that I don’t lie. (aiōn g165)

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knows that I do not lie. (aiōn g165)

32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas guarded the Damascenes’ city, desiring to arrest me.

In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas, intending to apprehend me, guarded the city of the Damascenes;

33 I was let down in a basket through a window by the wall, and escaped his hands.

but I was let down in a basket, through a window in the wall, and escaped his hands.